Is It True That A Little Alcohol Can Be Heart-Healthy, And Is Red Wine The Best Option?

Question: Is is true that a little alcohol can be heart-healthy, and is red wine better than other forms of alcohol?

Answer: So alcohol can be good, but it's not something that doctors are going to necessarily encourage for you. Although alcohol at high levels is definitely bad for the heart, at low levels, perhaps up to one drink per day, it can help positively impact your cholesterol and probably have long term health benefits.

Because some people are prone to alcohol in excess, we don't typically encourage our patients to drink. But if they do already drink alcohol, we'd recommend limiting them to one drink per day -- and probably red wine has got better evidence for heart prevention long term than other forms of alcohol. But clearly we need to avoid drinking to excess.